


Covert

by writeasoph



Category: Septiplier - Fandom, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Dark, Dystopia, Dystopian, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Soulmate AU, soulmate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-09-16 22:14:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9291758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeasoph/pseuds/writeasoph
Summary: When some families turn their back against the soulmate system, some children are raised with no knowledge of the real world. All they can do is watch as their siblings suffer from living without their soulmate.That is unless, they break free.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hmu on tumblr @writeasoph if you want to chat about fics :D

_5 little kiddies, stood in a row_   
_Paint their wrists, so it won’t show_   
_Keep them under, hidden from all_   
_Or one by one, you’ll watch them fall_

 

It’s almost quiet the first time it happens, the only sound being cutlery hitting and scraping empty bowls at the dinner table. No one looks up, simply concentrating on the lack of food and their stomachs still complaining. So when Aoife’s wrist begins to itch again, she writes it off, making sure to ask her mother for some soother after dinner. It’s only when it starts to burn when she drops her spoon out of shock with the metal clashing against the harsh table, shattering the silence in an instant.

“Aoife? What is it now? It can’t be hurting that much…” her mother says carelessly.

Not finding the voice to reply, she clenches her hand into a fist before banging it forcefully into the table, making her siblings jump almost collaboratively. She grips her wrist with her other hand in an attempt to stop the burning, the fire etching away at her insides.

Of course, the action makes no difference and as the pain becomes more and more intense, she begins to scrub at her skin, her blunt fingernails tearing at the thick paint like claws. It’s not long before her wrist turns red, blood oozing between her fingers.

“Mom, Mom! What’s wrong with her? What’s happening to her?” Malcolm, one her brothers, asks, lunging to restrain her from herself.

“Must be a-a-an allergy to the paint!” she fabricates with a quick glance to her husband, knowing that their daughter had worn the paint from since she was a baby.

The other children are shocked, rooted to their seats as they watch their sister suffer, knowing that there’s nothing they can do.

Suddenly, her breaths become shallower and she screams like she’s been stabbed. Crimson spurts from her mouth like a fountain and she overcomes Malcolm’s grip to clutch her throat.

At this point Jack, one of the youngest children, is panicking. His big sister is dying at the dinner table in front of him. Terrified, he runs out of the room, his small chest pumping faster than ever.

Ignoring the shouts coming from behind him, he buries himself in between his duvet and small mattress. His father finds him shivering and sickly pale.

With the thought of his sister spewing blood at the table, he only wants one thing: that he never ends up like that.

It’s a couple months later when his mother paints 4 wrists instead of 5. No one mentions it or asks, but they’re all reminded of the same night. Images of blood and pain fill their minds and Jack can’t help but scrunch his eyes shut as he feels the harsh brush layer fresh paint over whatever needed to be covered. What was covered was never meant to be seen; it was hidden for a reason as their mother told them.

It was a year or so later when Malcolm started to bruise for no reason, dark patches appearing over his heart and arms. Jack’s stomach clenches at the thought and once more hides himself away. Once again, his father comes to comfort him, telling him everything’s going to be alright.

“Am I going to end up like that Pa?” he asks, the terror quite clear in his eyes.

“Of course not son. You’re safe here. You know that, right?” the father replies with a hand in his hair. He leaves soon after, satisfied with the answer of a shallow nod.

It’s in Jack’s teenage years that he starts to become difficult and a bit too curious for his parents liking.

He starts to ask if there if anything else besides his home, the only place he’s ever been his whole life. He is promptly told off for even asking, his mother telling him that he knows of the void outside and how they would be murdered by the rotten air and cannibals in seconds.

One day, his mother finds him staring at his wrist having scrubbed off the endless layers of paint with a harsh sponge.

“Why are we hiding them when they’re so beautiful?” he asks, enticed by the faint symbol that had been hidden for so many years.

His mother can only stare before dragging him to their small living room by the ear, filled with his unsuspecting siblings and father. Aimlessly, she chucks him to the floor before giving a stern look to her husband.

Almost recognising it, he stands up in an instant.

“Marie, we made that agreement years ago, things have changed-”

“Nothing has changed! We are still stuck down here and I will teach my son what is right and what is wrong. That is my duty,”

Jack doesn’t really remember what happened next. However, he does remember waking up the next day with 50 lashes on his back, purple and green bruises littering the slashes and rips in his pale skin. He never mentions the mark on his wrist again.

From then on, Jack isolates himself from his siblings. He is sure that his mother told them what crime he had committed and not to follow his example. He keeps himself to himself, only showing his face at dinner times.

He’s 17 when something clicks. He’s reading his favourite book when a delicate drop of scarlet falls onto the page and a finger instinctively checks his nose. Bringing it forward, he is slightly shocked to see the tip covered in the same dark liquid. As more and more liquid gushes down from his nose, he clambers for a tissue or at least something to stop the blood staining anything. Finding nothing, he rushes to the bathroom to at least stand over the sink.

With the only thing to do being to wait for the blood to stop, Jack looks up at himself in the mirror. It’s the first time he’s seen himself in months, having avoided mirrors since his third sibling died. There’s only two of them left and it’s too easy to mistake your reflection for someone that you used to love.

It’s only when he thinks of his lost siblings when he realises what’s happening. It starts differently for everyone but he’s never had a nosebleed before.

It’s the beginning. He’s going to die.

That’s also the moment when he decides that he’s had enough. What’s the point of staying in a cold, dark and unfulfilling world where all he’s doing is waiting to die?

There’s nothing left to do but die.

Die, die, _die._ It’s such an ugly word. 

Now he’s faced with the gruelling decision of how because he sure isn’t going to suffer and deny his death like everyone else. Knives mean blood. Jack hates blood, hated it since he saw Aoife nearly die in front of him. His parents didn’t have a gun as far as he was aware so that was off the table.

The only answer was to go outside.

It was perfect. As long as he got out, they’d be no one to stop him and no body to clear up either. 

He waits months for the right opportunity and one day he finds himself standing before the front door, his trip up the stairs and locked trapdoor forgotten. His parents have always sworn that they had never left the house; always staying inside, yet the handle seemed the opposite of the rusty and loud alarm Jack had expected. 

Slowly, his fingertips reach the end of the key, the ice cold metal burning reality into this dreamlike idea. Shutting his eyes, he turns it. With a deep breath, he reaches for the handle. 

 

To die.

 

If he did this, he would never see his mother, father or last sister again. He couldn’t even remember when they last spoke or the content of the probably meaningless conversation. But in the end, what difference did it make? Jack was never one to sit and wait, especially for death.

But he wasn’t quick enough.

_“Seàn!”_

Shocked and petrified, Jack turns towards the call and feels two hands grab his shoulders, one on each side of his neck with their grip slightly lighter than Jack expects. Looking up, he sees his father staring at him longingly. 

“Seàn, what are you thinking? You can’t go outside, you’ll die!” he says, staring into Jack’s eyes almost as if he was looking to see if a shred of sanity was left there. 

“Dad, it started a-and I don’t want to suffer. Not like them. I can’t. It was painful enough seeing them go through it but I can’t do it myself I-” Jack whimpers, his voice becoming more and more desperate and his gaze drifting from his father’s predictable face. 

“I know, son.”

At that, Jack’s head jerks back to face his father. That was not what he was expecting.

“Y-You do? But, I-I’m practically going to k-”

“No, you’re not. That’s the thing.”

Dumbfounded, Jack doesn’t know what to say. His father sighs deeply before wiping his brow. 

“Your mother and I made a decision many years ago, and it’s one that I’ve been regretting for a long time. You need to leave here son, before she finds out. If I ever see you again, which I hope I don’t for your sake, please don’t tell her I told you.”

“What’s going to happen when I go outside, dad?”

“Nothing. You won’t be hurt by the air or anything. Just, go outside and tell them you’re a covert. Tell them you’ve been a covert your whole life and they’ll take care of you. I promise.”

At this, he grabs Jack’s hand and still silent with shock he looks down at the motion. The world surrounding them is quiet and the atmosphere of peace feels like one that Jack has not felt for the longest time. 

“David! What are you doing up there? You don’t have to go out again do you?” the pair hear Ms McLoughlin ask and with fear in his eyes, Jack’s father gently pushes him to the door.

“Quick son, quick! This is your only chance. You’ll die if you stay here, please just run!”

Without a thought of protest, he throws open the door only to be blinded by a bright light and hit with an intense heat. His eyes clench shut and with a grunt of pain he covers his face with his arms. He lets himself fall to his knees but he knows he has to move. He can’t wait for his mother to come running out the door and drag him back in screaming. 

He pays no mind to the stabs of pain at his knees, the sensitive skin breaking at the touch of the ground below, thinking only to return to his feet as fast as possible. Scrambling at the dry grass he manages to get two feet on the floor before he sees an unfamiliar face in front of him. 

“Lose something? You’re digging around in the dirt an awful lot. Want some help?” the strangely accented stranger offers, holding out a hand. 

A few minutes ago, Jack wasn’t expecting to live outside, never mind meet someone new and the friendly action causes him to panic slightly. 

“W-Who are you?” Jack stutters, not knowing what to say. 

Slightly puzzled, the man answers, “My name is Felix Kjellberg. Are you ok?” and moves his hand somewhat, almost to reinstate the offer.

“I’m, I’m a covert? That’s what my dad told me to say, oh god dad,” Jack whispers, turning his head back to face where he came from. Who knows what his mother would do to his father if she suspected anything. 

“Covert? Holy shit, are you ok? How long have you been in there?” Felix says, his face growing more and more concerned. 

“Been in where?” he asks, turning back to Felix. “I’ve lived with my family all my life. I’ve never known anything else…” he mutters.

“We need to get to get you to the town hall. How old are you?” Felix says, clutching his arm and guiding him towards the roadside. 

“I’m 17 - what are you doing?! Why are we going to the town hall? And who’s we?!” Jack asked, alarmed at the hand that painfully wrapped its way around his arm, turning the pale skin whiter. He grimaced.  
After failing to tug it free after a few attempts, Jack gives up. He hasn’t got any other options and apart from his particularly strong grip he isn’t making any attempt to hurt him. His father said to trust people and Jack believed him. 

Felix noticed Jack’s discomfort, though, and loosened his grip slightly with a guilty smile, “Sorry, bro. Just don’t want you running off, you know? This world is entirely new to you,”

However, as the pair wait by the roadside, for what Jack doesn’t know, something large and loud whizzes by. Scared by the peculiar noise, Jack stumbles back, only staying up thanks to Felix’s hold. 

“Woah, woah, woah. It’s okay man, it’s just a car.” Felix says, helping Jack to keep his balance.

“What’s your name? You never said,” he asks, once Jack has successfully regained his footing.

“Name’s Jack and you never -” Jack starts before being interrupted by sharp pain in his side. Hearing him gasp from the pain, Felix turned to look at him. 

“You okay there? You look a little pale,” Felix says, trying to make a joke. 

By reflex, Jack’s hand darts to his nose. He feels fear fumbling in his chest when a sticky wet liquid oozes onto his fingertip. 

“I’m fine. And I’ve been inside all my life, what do you expect blondie?” Jack replies, trying to carry on the mood. 

“Don’t call me blondie, ghostie.” Felix winks at him. Jack finds himself chuckling before the sharp pain slashes at his side unexpectedly and not even Felix can stop his sudden fall. 

“Jack?!”

The pain that exploded in his side was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. He briefly recalls the time he accidentally sliced himself as a child, and how he cried for hours at the sting. The sheer memory felt like child’s play compared to the bursts of pain he felt now. The previously colourful world around him was now pulsing with patches of black littering his vision and hearing one last spout of concern from Felix, the world subsided to darkness.

\---

 

“Good afternoon,” someone says and Jack recognises it to be Felix, the man who saved him before.

“Hi,” he says, looking around the room. “Where am I?”

“You’re in my house. I hope you’re comfortable, Marzia made quite a big effort to make sure you would be.”

“I am. Thank you,” he said hesitantly.

“Marzia is my soulmate, I don’t think I’ve mentioned her before,” Felix gestured towards the brunette haired woman standing beside him. Jack gave a weak wave in her general direction, together with a shy smile.

“Now ghostie, obviously I’m guessing that you have a lot of questions, so ask away,” Felix states with a smile. 

“Soulmate?” Jack asks. “What’s that mean? ”

“A soulmate is someone you’re destined to be with. Someone you’re meant to love, cherish and take care of. They’re normally distinguished by a mark on one of your wrists,” he says. “Just like the one that you’ve covered up.” Felix murmurs sadly, analysing Jack’s left hand.

“I didn’t cover it,” Jack interjects. “My mother did. She covered all of ours up since we were little. I’ve only seen it once.” He said, the harsh lashings fresh in his mind.

“May we see it? Your soulmate is probably in lots of pain, just like you. That pain will stop as soon as you meet.” Felix says, grabbing at Jack’s hand.

He replies with a silent nod.

Marzia steps forward, a small wipe and a cleaner in hand. Jack jerks away slightly when it finally touches his wrist.

“It’s ok. We just want to help,” she whispers. He nods again in reply, urging her to go on.

Gently, she rubs off the layers of paint covering his mark. He begins to feel more and more naked without it there but tries to keep his panic under control, hoping that Marzia doesn’t hear his shallow breaths.

Slowly, a dark outline is revealed: a hollow star with 8 points. Jack finds himself staring at it before shivering at the memory he has of seeing it before, his mother’s image burned on the inside of his eyes. 

“Felix!” Marzia says, gripping his arm with delight and dragging him closer to see the mark. 

“So? What does this mean now?” Jack asks.

“Well, normally we would go to the town hall to register your mark and see if anyone around the world has registered and identical one. However, Marzia and I just happen to recognise the octagram you have there.” Felix grinned. 

“You do? Then, what do I do now?” Jack says, almost feeling a rush through his veins. He’d just discovered what a soulmate was, yet the idea of it gave him a new energy he had never felt before.

“We are going to have to go see him in his ward, right now. He needs to see you as soon as possible, he’s a lot worse off than you,” Felix answered.

His? _He?_

“My soulmate is a man?” Jack asks. 

“Yes, now come on. It’s time for you to meet Mark Fischbach,”


	2. Chapter 2

_4 friends together, finally matched_   
_How will they deal with their problems attached?_   
_Will they stand through it, supportive all day_   
_Or will they crumble and fade far away?_

 

Jack is extremely distant for the whole trip to the hospital, but with so much information being piled onto him in seconds, he knows that he needs time to think. All his life, he had been stuck inside a dreary basement with dull dark walls and grey carpets without an ounce of colour so to be placed in a world full of everything bright and new overwhelmed him. He needs time to take it in.

As Marzia quickly shows him how to use a seatbelt, Jack realises he’s in a car just like the one he saw earlier. Waiting for a large noise, he’s pleased to find that it starts and drives fairly quietly compared to the large pass by he had heard earlier. 

He’s aware of a constant flow of conversation between Marzia and Felix, but reduces it to mere background noise as he peers out of the window in wonder, staring at the bright blue sky and red buses. He sees green fields, white sheep and people, crowds of them. He was used to his decreasing family and the occasional picture in one of his books, but this, this was amazing.

Every single person was vibrant. Whether it was the colour of their hat, motion of their walk or shiny smile as they laughed, everyone was brilliant.

_His soulmate is a man._

For Jack that's a bit...weird. The only relationship he's ever seen his entire life is his parents'. A man and a woman; that's all he's ever seen. 

He supposes that he'll just get used to it, along with the rest of this new world.

“Jack?”

“Sorry, what?” Jack asked, being brought back by Felix’s voice.

“I said, are you okay? You’re gaping out the window like a dog,” Felix smiled before receiving a punch from Marzia.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine, sorry," he says. Looking out beyond the window, he resumes admiring the view. "It’s just pretty, you know? I’ve never seen so many people,” Jack replied.

“Well you’re about to see many more in here, this place is gonna be packed. Stay close to us yeah? The last place you want to get lost in is a hospital,” Felix said glumly.

Paying more attention to where they were going, Jack saw that they were entering the hospital. The word only sent shivers down his spine as he remembers his father muttering the words to his mother endlessly whenever he thought no one else was listening.

 

_“Look, we have to take her to the hospital. Do you want to watch your own daughter die?”_

 

Shivering, Jack leans forwards towards the front seats, his father's voice echoing through his mind. 

“Do you think there’s any way to save the rest of my family?”

The question causes silence between the trio and the absence of a straightforward answer makes Jack slightly question his trust with these two strangers. He can't help but grip his fingers into the seat, clutching onto it like his hope. 

“Unfortunately Jack, it’s not up to us if you’re allowed to go back in there and get whoever’s been left behind. You’ll have to take that up later with the town hall. They’re quite…picky with that sort of thing,” Marzia explains. Jack can’t help but feel washed with disappointment, but he supposes that shouldn’t really have expected anything else.

“Well, here we are,” Felix says, breaking the awkward atmosphere. “Time to save our Markimoo,”

As they slowly exit the car, a slight uneasiness hangs over them. Jack gets the impression that Felix and Marzia have been here far too often. The trio make their way inside to the hospital, with Felix leading as Marzia talks to Jack quietly.

“Are you gonna tell me about him then?” Jack asked, curious. 

“Oh, Mark? He’s a sweetheart once you get to know him, really kind and caring. The year or so before he came in here though, he wasn’t exactly – himself. He became worried, as everyone does, that he wouldn’t find his soulmate until it got to the point where he got ill. He spent so long searching that, well, he gave up on himself as well. That’s why we’re so eager to get him to you because you’ll fix him, I know you will. You are everything he needs,” Marzia says with a hand on his shoulder.

“How do you know, though? You don’t even know me,” Jack asks, puzzled.

“I know because of the soulmate system. This is your destiny. Everything is going to be-“

“You brought a Covert here and didn’t think to mention it! He needs checking and tests!” a receptionist screams, interrupting Marzia. At the loud voice, everyone in the busy waiting room turns to the woman and Jack feels some of the eyes in the room turn to him as well. 

“He’s fine! Mark is the one in a hospital bed! Just let them meet and then he can be tested and everything, can’t you see that Mark must be the priority?” Felix explains.

“A Covert will be extremely vulnerable to all kinds of diseases and infections if they’ve been kept away from society! And who knows what he’s carrying! Not only have you put him in danger but you’ve put us all in it too!” she says sternly, this time trying to keep her voice down. Getting up from her desk, she picks up several forms from her desk and approaches Jack with the pretence that she hadn’t just shouted that everyone around him was at risk.

“Sir? Please could you follow me, we need to run some tests to help with your rehabilitation,” she asked with a clearly fake smile. Unsure of what else to do, Jack follows her with Felix and Marzia tagging along.

After weaving through many corridors, they reach a plain white door. As the receptionist reaches into her pocket to find a key to unlock it, Felix tries once more to persuade her to do this later.

“Please, we could just-“

“Mr Kjellberg, please. I understand your sentiment to Mr Fischbach but do trust that our equipment will be able to keep him alive for a couple more hours,” she sighs. Opening the door, she gestures for Jack to enter. Turning to his new friends, Felix sees the worry in his eyes instantly. The last thing Jack needs is to be separated from the people that have been caring for him ever since everything got turned upside down for him.

“Can I at least come in with Jack then?” he asks, hoping that this bitch of a receptionist actually has some common sense.

“Once again Mr Kjellberg, do I need to remind you that a Covert presents a danger to you as well. He will enter the room alone just like any other Covert,” she says and her words instantly worry Jack even more. These people made him feel safe in a world that he didn’t know.

“Come on!” she says, and out of slight fear, Jack nods goodbye to Felix and Marzia before hurrying inside.

 

The room’s walls look as if they have been bleached repeatedly and Jack can’t help but feel out of place with his torn and faded clothes ruining the aesthetic of the room. The space is also eerily quiet, with the bustle of the hospital inaudible. Jack can’t help but feel sectioned off from the world once more with the vivid world locked behind a cold ice door.

“Take a seat,” the receptionist says. Hesitantly, Jack sits down on a stiff metal chair behind a white table before noticing it has a machine on it. Quickly, she sticks some pads to his arms which seem attached to it and something to his finger before leaving without a word.

“Hello. I’m talking to you over a speaker system as we don’t know how well you are or even who you are. My name is Cry, and feel free to ask me any questions as we go along. I’ll try and make this quick as possible,”

“Now, we’ll start off with the basics. What’s your name and how old are you?” Cry asks.

“My name’s Seán McLoughlin and I’m 17, but only my parents call me Seán. My siblings called me Jack,”

“Okay and tell me briefly about your life. Hobbies, family and anything else you know. I know this part might be difficult so try to start off easy and I’ll help you with some questions if you get stuck,”

“Um, okay? Well, I’ve lived with my family my whole life. I had 4 siblings but in the past few years, um, I lost 3 of them. I don’t really know why. I kind of ended up separating myself from everyone after Aoife left, I just ended up reading books and old newspapers my dad had.”

“How did you lose them, Seán?”

“I-I don’t know. It was different with all of them. Aoife, she just vomited blood, and then Audrey kept fainting and Malcolm bruised l-like something was killing him from the inside out,” he explains, his face grimacing at the memory.

“I’m sorry. How were your parents?”

“They were…weak. I mean, they were strong enough to look after us but then it was never any physical work or anything. It was just their age.”

“Hm, okay. Why did you leave?”

At this, Jack finds himself unsure of how to answer. Should he really tell this stranger than he thought he was going to kill himself? That would make him sound insane, wouldn’t it? He was already a Covert, the last thing he needed was something else to make him stand out.

“I’d had enough of seeing my family die. I wanted to leave because I couldn’t bear it anymore.” Jack said, hoping he wouldn’t ask any more questions.

“Alright. How did you get out?”

“My dad helped me. He found me trying to get out and told me to tell someone I was a Covert and he promised that they would help me if I did. So, I went outside a-and I couldn’t see ‘cause it was so bright but Felix saw me. I told him and, here I am.”

After hearing some kind of beep over the intercom, Jack hears Cry make some sound of affirmation.

“Right. Everything seems to be in order so all you need now is to wait for my crew to take some blood and immunise you against the fundamentals and you should be free to go,”

Relieved, Jack lets go of a breath he didn’t even realise he was holding until two men in strange suits enter from a doorway he hadn’t even noticed. Each holding a silver briefcase Jack can’t help but feel intimidated.

"You'll receive some information on what Coverts are and the soulmate system and other basics afterwards. Been nice talking to you, Seán. Have a nice day," the intercom says before shutting off with a buzz.

With each man setting down a suitcase on either side of him, he couldn't help but feel anxious. In each was several needles, all filled with clear liquids. Each one felt like a scratch down his arm and his eyes scrunch shut at the strange sensation.

After some quick injections, Jack is escorted out of the room with two sore arms and a heavy heart. He can’t wait to see Felix and feel some familiarity again.

Seeing Felix and Marzia sat together holding hands, Jack can't help but feel guilty for ruining their day somehow. They probably had plans but instead decided to help him, bring him here and now sit waiting for him. 

"Thank you for waiting for me," he mumbles and his voice alerts the couple of his presence. 

Smiling up at him Marzia replies," It's no problem!" and she pulls Felix to his feet. 

"The tests say you're all clear. Here are some information booklets. I recommend reading this one before you go see Mr Fischbach," the receptionist sighs, before smiling and returning back to her desk. 

" _'Soulmates and what they mean'_? Jeez, that sounds like a cringy written version of 'The Talk'," Felix chuckles. "Go on then, get reading. I'll keep a hand on you to make sure you don't bump into anyone whilst we go to Mark's ward, if that's okay," he says. 

With a timid nod, Jack offers his arm as he turns to the first page of the booklet.

He really should be prepared before he meets his soulmate.


End file.
